Fate: Alternative
by Parcasious
Summary: A Slice of life where Shirou lives happily with Kiritsugu, Irisviel and Illya. A reincarnated Arturia is the school Kendo club captain and he's the Archery club captain
1. Chapter 1

An adolescent sat in seiza idly staring out at the open practice fields maintained within Homurahara Academy's school grounds. Wearing a kyudo uniform, the traditional garbs of Japanese archers, the youth appeared to be in deep thought, a bow left resting to his side.

This youth was Shirou Emiya, Captain of Homurahara Academy's Archery club after Ayako Mitsuzuri, the previous captain, eagerly ceded the position to him. After all, he had never missed a single shot with his arrow, and Ayako had high hopes for him to lead the club to a varsity level.

Strong was his will, and steadfast was his resolve and personality. Not once had he ever encountered something in his life that could stump him so thoroughly, and this was despite including the type of household he lived in.

"You stayed behind again? Then again, it's been quite a while since you did."

A voice woke him up from his silent musings, a hand reaching down to ruffle his short red-hair.

"Looking at you now, its as if you don't take any of my advice to heart."

He could only smile wryly at that comment, but that was because of matters that others weren't privy to. Yet how could he do anything else but nod his head to the woman before him.

"I understand mother," he spoke, bowing his head further for good measure lest his mother deduce that he wasn't, in fact, being sincere.

How could he ever take his mother's advice seriously when the majority of it was ludicrous? The fact that she had thought that it was okay for him to follow her into the girl's washroom without shame was bad enough, but she even had the gall to get mad at him for it in public. Matters only became worse when the woman herself, his foster mother, had somehow managed to find a way to be employed as his school's nurse.

Irisviel von Einzbern was her name. A woman with a free personality, and a woman that had spent a vast majority of her life within the care of her household outside of the world's view. Because of this, he couldn't really fault her for her lack of common sense, and could only inwardly pity the fallout his father Kiritsugu Emiya always had to deal with. Then again, he was the man who had fallen in love with Irisviel and took her away from her household. It was a story his sister Illyasviel was quite fond of too.

"It's that, isn't it Shirou?" Irisviel lifted her eyebrows knowingly, the movement enough to misplace a long strand of her shoulder-blade length white-hair.

He raised a brow to her odd actions, somewhat puzzled as to what she was implying. Then again, he was caught between filial piety and foreboding as everything was placed aside as he recalled the heavy task his father had burdened him with.

His lip twitched as he gave a quick prayer, a heavy sigh expelling from his mouth as his hands balled into fists.

 _He must burn it._

 _Burn it in fire and reduce it into ashes scattered in the wind_.

Irisviel appeared completely oblivious to his hollow gaze as he contemplated how in the hell he would dispose of the nurse outfit Irisviel was wearing. It was a form-fitting white uniform that completely enunciated Irisviel curvaceous form, making her quite popular with the boys in Homurahara Academy. The black stockings she wore only made it worse as the combination of black and white was quite distinct with even her pale thighs flashing occasionally from beneath her skirt; playing into a boy's fantasies.

"Are you alright Shirou?" Irisviel seemed genuinely worried as she spoke. "You have the same expression as Kiri when he's thinking about his next job. Speaking of which, you wouldn't happen to know why he's decided to set up a perimeter around the school do you? There's been complaints from the boys about their 'precious items' being cruelly destroyed? You wouldn't happen to know about that either would you, since you're a boy yourself?"

"No," he said blankly. "Not at all."

 _Curses. There were more of e'm._

He smiled outwardly, but inwardly, he had already stored the information in mind and sent a quick text on his phone.

Thereafter, Irisviel's phone quickly rang.

"Kiri?" Irisviel spoke bewildered. "Y-You're what?!"

Irisviel's expression quickly shifted from bewilderment to alarm, before she quickly excused herself and ran out of the empty dojo of the archery room.

Other than himself, he was the only one in the room, having stayed behind after club activities to clean up after the place. It had been a while since he'd found himself doing the task, as although he was more than happy to, there was always someone else asking him to help out on other matters. With his principles however, he would hardly ever refuse; earning him the name of Homurahara Academy's Brownie.

The last time he could recall cleaning the space was the last time Shinji Matou was part of the club. Fact was, Shinji had been the one to task him with undergoing the job in a clear show of shirking off one's duties. Ayako had caught wind of it at the time, and through one reason or another, Shinji was placed on leave from Homurahara Academy itself.

Today marked three weeks since Shinji had left, and somehow no one really missed him aside from himself who considered him a friend of sorts. Then again, Ayako had already reprimanded him several times on his choice of friends, but he still felt that Shinji should be given a chance.

In any case, he turned down to stare once again at the practice grounds, bathing in the tranquility of the morning light that filtered in from the open windows.

 _That deep honey coloured hair._

 _The determination that was present within those teal eyes._

Thinking back about it now, it had been mesmerizing.

Unforgettable.

It was a transfer student from abroad, Britain if he could recall. However, he could hardly care less. It was just that seeing her join the Kendo club and then challenge senior after senior to formal duels, he had gotten caught up in her valor.

She was rumoured to be the transfer student that became Captain of the Kendo club within less than a week, usurping Taiga Fujimura's reputation as the most famous Kendo club captain. Thereby, wresting away the position of Homurahara Academy's Tiger to become Homurahara Academy's Steel Knight for the stainless-steel sword she carried on her person. That, and the other rumour that she did not have any emotions.

 _Cold, and unreachable to others._

His brows furrowed. That wasn't the impression he had of her on first sight.

Still, all this information, and he didn't even know her name.

Sighing, he knew that it was about time for him to leave. He had already finished cleaning up several minutes ago, and the room was shared between clubs. Therefore, he had a limit to how long he could stay.

The steady sound of feet shuffling against the floor echoed out in the silent room as he slowly got changed. No one was around, and he had stayed within the club room long enough to know that no clubs after Archery had members that would show up too early. Besides, this wasn't his first time changing in the room. It wasn't that he didn't like the designated changing locations; it was just that the area was currently out of order after a steam break in the pipes within the room. Therefore, the only alternative was a building located a distance outside of the one he was already in, and going there would take much longer.

It was just, he would have-had never expected to hear the sound of the sliding door at the moment he had taken off his shirt.

A woman was standing at the opening, her expression seeming neutral if not for the redness slowly building up on her cheeks.

It was the transfer student. The new Captain of the Kendo club.

Even now, there was still some gauss pads pressed onto her left cheek after sustaining a blow in her last challenge against the former Kendo Club Captain. Yet despite that, she was still beautiful. A tender face and a pale complexion which emphasized those large teal eyes.

Looking at her now, and not even seeing a single change in her expression, it was no wonder people assumed she was emotionless. However, he was different. Because of his father's work, he could observe and understand things many may overlook.

For example, it may appear as if she was not affected in the least apart from the redness of her cheeks, but it could also be seen that she had not closed the door yet because her body was frozen; the hand holding the handle of the door clenched tight.

"Hello?" He spoke awkwardly, immediately putting on his clothing.

"Ah," the transfer student shook out of her stupor and returned a neutral glance at him.

"Sorry," he quickly apologized. "No one ever comes to club this early, and I probably shouldn't have changed in here even knowing that."

"No, it's my fault for not knocking," the transfer student spoke before breathing in and out. Finally, she seemed to completely regain her bearings and promptly walked inside, closing the door behind her. The movement was accompanied with a brush of her hair as she used one hand to move away a stray lock.

She was already in the formal hakama of the Kendo club, only, she wasn't wearing her protective gear yet.

Just from the way she walked, he could see a level of finesse that spoke volumes of her upbringing. Even the sheath strapped to her waist making clinking noises after each step did not appear ordinary.

As she made her way from across the other side of the room, his eyes just couldn't leave hers. He couldn't understand it. No matter how alluring a woman was, he had believed himself to be relatively stable of mind. After all, the majority of the women in his life were far from just pretty. Therefore, he had believed that he had built up a tolerance of sorts, yet only now, it appears that his efforts were utterly useless.

Dazed, he could see that the transfer student was speaking to him after stopping in front of him. However, he couldn't hear a sound other than her name which was part of the first sentence she had spoken in introduction.

He just stood there like an idiot, not even knowing the situation he was going to put himself through next.

It was unexpected, and he didn't know when it happened, but a word was let slip through his mouth in his stupor.

 _'_ _Beautiful.'_

The woman standing in front of him stiffened noticeably; A slight tremble running across her body before she slowly pursed her lips and blankly looked around as if there were any other girl other than her in the room.

Obviously, there was not.

And so, the two stood there rooted, neither looking each other in the eye.

As the ambiance of the room gradually shifted into a delicate calm, he knew that on this day, and on this hour, he had met the woman of his life.

Arturia Pendragon.

* * *

 **Story Idea by Team Wicked Biz**

P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious


	2. Homurahara Academy's Sword and Bow: 1

The silence was only stretching, and he had no idea how to go about fixing it. By now, he'd already changed back into his Homurahara school uniform and was idlily sweeping the floor beneath him with a broom in light of nothing better to do. Of course, he had already cleaned the training hall previously, but that fact had long since slipped his mind.

Brush back then forward, side to side.

The gentle swishing of the broom against the laminated wooden floor was the only noise that echoed within the room occupied only by two.

Her name was Arturia Pendragon, a transfer student that had enrolled in Homurahara Academy half-way through the fall semester.

He'd never really taken much notice of her because he wasn't one to trust in rumours or be excited by a new girl coming to his school, and yet he suddenly found himself kicking his own foot.

He was utterly captivated right now to the point that he didn't realize that the only area he was sweeping was the space in-between his feet.

He wanted to talk to her, but she didn't give off an approachable air.

Her expression had shifted back into monotone since she'd last seen him in a state of half-undress, and for the most part, she was ignoring him after giving him only a curt nod.

It seems that the rumours were true.

Arturia was beautiful in every sense of the word, but she was the only on in Homurahara Academy that actively avoided conversing or getting to know others.

She stayed away from social events, and she was only ever seen eating by herself during the break hours.

Many had wanted to ask if she was feeling lonely or not, but her lack of expression when asked questions or interacting with others in general was off putting. The gossip in Homurahara was that she wasn't really 'Human,' due to her inability to fit in.

The way he saw it though, Arturia wasn't what she was making herself out to be.

The sound of wood cutting wind echoed within the training space of the Archery Club. The space itself wasn't the property of the Archery Club, but the shared room of the various school sports clubs.

Kendo Club came directly after Archery so it wasn't weird for Arturia to arrive and begin practicing, but she really was too early.

The Kendo Club would only start an hour-and-a-half after Archery ended, but here Arturia was.

Students called Arturia a Ghost member of the Kendo Club even though she was now its captain. She was strong with her sword and flawless with her skills, but the jealous members of the Kendo Club couldn't accept that someone who never showed up to practice could always be better than them.

In reality, Arturia was putting far more effort into her practice than anyone knew of; it was evident just by the callouses that he could see on her hands even from where he was standing.

The only problem, was just why she never showed up for her club activities.

He could tell while observing her that she didn't seem to be the type of person who'd be rude towards others or dismiss them without another glance. There had to be some other reason that she'd come early just practice Kendo by herself and outside the Kendo Club's knowledge.

Right now, Arturia was practicing her Sword skills in the open hall, having already changed into her practice attire before entering the room.

Shirou's eyes began to narrow.

He was no longer just focusing on Arturia, but on the patterns of her footwork and attacks.

Although he was well known for his Archery skills, there was another fact about him that others did not know. He was proficient in his ability to 'Trace' what he had seen once before. So long as the person that he was 'tracing' used a weapon, he could perfectly replicate the experience and technique of the user.

Strike after strike, Arturia's patterns were engraved in his memory.

He could be considered a Faker in all senses of the word, but that didn't mean that a fake could not beat the original.

Before he knew it, the broom he was using in his hands had been replaced by one of many wooden swords kept stored in the bin by the opposite side of the room.

From the moment that he took the sword in his hand, Arturia's gaze had shifted onto him in curiosity. If she said that she didn't know who Shirou Emiya was in Homurahara Academy, it would be a lie. He was popular not only for his skills with a bow, but because he always went out of his way to help anyone in need or fix anything that needed attention. Moreover, there was a rumour going along in the circle of girls within the Academy that the top student Rin Tohsaka had an interest in the red-head.

Still, this sort of thing had nothing to do with Arturia, so like Shirou, she had been ignoring the rumours.

Now that Shirou was using a sword in front of her though, she couldn't stop her attention from drifting. Especially when the moves he was executing looked so familiar.

She watched in silence, and soon enough, her eyes started to widen.

Shirou was no longer paying attention to Arturia at this point and was just immersing himself in the feeling of the sword in his hand. As a person who generally preferred using a bow, it felt oddly right to hold a sword.

Strike. Sidestep. Retreat, then feint with a counter.

His body was moving on autopilot, not noticing when Arturia had suddenly gotten in front of him with a serious expression on her face.

"Where did you learn to use a sword?"

It was the first time that she had actively spoken to him. There was a curiosity in her tone that her neutral expression could never hide.

He stared at her blankly before she realized how forward she was being.

"Sorry," she apologized while shaking her head. "It was just that your technique resembled mine."

It would be a lie to say that he didn't copy her, so the best that he could do was shrug and answer honestly. "It's my first time using a sword and I guess watching you just inspired me to try."

"Your first time?" Arturia's voice was tinged with disbelief, but from there, the conversation rapidly began to deteriorate back into silence.

It was because of this, that the gurgling noise that Arturia's stomach made became painfully obvious to hear.

A blush was forming on her face, and she seemed to forget anything about questioning him any further.

"Hungry?" He smiled while moving to put away the wooden sword that he'd taken.

Arturia turned her face away.

"I didn't eat," she admitted. "I forgot my lunch and I didn't have any money to buy anything."

He raised a brow before glancing at the time. It was well passed two in the afternoon.

"And you planned to practice in such a state?"

Arturia's lack of a response was telling.

He sighed before moving to where he'd left his bag and produced a secondary boxed lunch. He'd prepared it in case his step-mother Irisviel had forgotten to eat again, but she'd already bought food with his little sister Illya in the elementary school division.

Rather than waste the food, he figured it would be better to give it away to someone who needed it. And that someone was right in front of him.

"Take it," he said, dropping the lunch in her hands.

If Arturia didn't catch it or refused it, then it would go to waste on the floor. Therefore, Arturia readily caught it while staring at him for his act of kindness.

"I made too much this morning," he explained. "It's better for someone to eat it then let it go to waste. Hunger is the enemy," he quoted.

Arturia didn't know what to say, or how she should express herself for the gesture, so she simply nodded her head.

Opening the boxed lunch, she saw an assortment of food ranging from fried rice and omelets, to octopus shaped hot dogs and side dishes. She ended up thinking about her own lunches which were generally comprised of just premade sandwiches and suddenly felt like she was missing out on a lot of things.

The moment that she took the first bite, was the moment that she stared in a daze at the quickly emptied lunch box in front of her.

Shirou himself took several seconds to process just how fast Arturia had emptied the lunch box.

Grains of rice were stuck to her cheeks adjacent to her mouth, and oil from the meat glistened from her lips.

He passed her a napkin after a moment of thought.

"Thank you," she said while wiping her mouth.

"Are you human?" He let out the question involuntarily

Her face reddened in response, her ears practically burning.

"I-I just like to eat," she feebly reasoned before composing herself. "It tasted good though," she complimented.

The ticking of the wall clock echoed for the both of them to hear, alerting them both about how much time had already passed.

The Kendo Club was set to start in only ten more minutes, around the time that the regular club members would begin arriving.

Arturia immediately made to leave rather than stay. She picked up her belongings and quickly began packing her bags in a hurry. She was clearly trying to avoid any members of her club from seeing her.

"Is there a need to leave?" He suddenly asked her. "You're the captain of the Kendo club, but you won't make yourself any friends like this. Especially since you've just transferred."

She paused, if only momentarily while making her way towards the door.

She seemed like she wanted to explain herself and her circumstances but thought better of it before cooling her features.

She pursed her lips and just shook her head.

"I don't deserve it," she murmured softly before leaving.

She never came back.

* * *

Shirou was there again, waiting for her.

Arturia felt an invisible weight press down on her shoulders. It had already been a week since she'd last met him, and every day after his Archery Club activities ended, he'd stay in the Archery Club room waiting for her to come.

She adjusted the strap of her bag carrying her school supplies and Kendo equipment before once again walking passed the Archery Club room where Shirou was waiting. He was wasting his efforts. She wouldn't come back not because she had anything against Shirou, but because she felt that Shirou was a nice person. Someone like him should not get involved with her who had been at the heart of a tragedy.

It was her mistake.

Everything that had happened in the past was due to her and her alone.

Since a young age, she'd been hailed as a prodigy in the way of the sword such that the responsibility of carrying her team to the nationals had been placed on her back.

And yet everything that she'd ever worked for and wholeheartedly enjoyed toppled down under her leadership ending in a complete fall out with her teammates.

It was better for her not to get close with anyone again. She didn't want to hurt anyone anymore.

She should have had never picked up a sword. Maybe then she could have had lived a normal life as a girl, but to make amendments for her past mistakes, she had to get stronger.

Her sword instructor Merlin had told her to take a break, but she couldn't just not practice.

Adjusting the strap over her shoulder, she made her way out of Homurahara Academy and back towards home.

Classmates and students whispered as she walked by, and she could hear them calling her out for being so cold to everyone. At this point she was already used to it and had no intention of changing anything about herself.

It wasn't that she was emotionless, it was just that she always kept everything bottled up inside of her anyway. It would do no good for a leader to reveal weakness. This was the first rule she'd learned in her past role.

Walking alone, she soon arrived by a simple apartment that her family had bought when they had first moved to Japan back when she was too young to be able to speak. Her real father and mother were already dead before she got to know them, so she had been raised by one of her father's employee's who she called Papa Ector.

Only three people lived in the apartment including herself, and they were Papa Ector and her brother Kay.

Fumbling for the keys within her bag, she walked up to the door of her residence and soon unlocked the entrance.

"Papa Ector? Kay? Anyone home?" She called out while pushing open the door.

Only silence greeted her.

Even at home, she was alone.

She bit down on her lower lip before she shook her head, took off her shoes, and then walked in towards the kitchen. It wasn't as if she couldn't understand her family's circumstances.

Neither Kay nor Papa Ector were home, but they'd left a note for her to read that explained that they'd only be back near midnight.

Due to Papa Ector's old age, Kay had been actively taking Papa Ector to the doctors and as such no longer had as much time to spend with her.

Papa Ector and Kay had taught her everything that she needed to know about how to use a sword which was why she'd been curious to understand just where Shirou had learned his swordsmanship from. Regardless, it wasn't as if she'd be able to ask him anymore.

Dumping her stuff in her room, she made her way to the fridge and looked for what was left inside. There was a small carton of eggs, some milk, and left over take out from the previous night.

Her hand moved forward towards the take out, but hesitated before moving towards just the milk. Papa Ector was on medication so he needed more nutrition.

She thought about it and decided that she'd be fine with just a glass of milk. It had protein and was enough to keep her going until she could go shopping later.

 _From humble beginnings._

Papa Ector had always been telling her of how great her real Dad was, and that one day she'd eventually take up the same role, but right now she just couldn't see it.

Her talent with her sword was all that she had.

Merlin had told her about some underground sort of tournament going on in a few weeks called the 'Holy Grail War' where the winner had the chance to obtain a substantial prize. If that was the case, she had to at least try and win not just for her sake, but for all the mistakes that she'd made in her life.

Besides, her gaze shifted towards the notice hidden behind the flower pot by the windowsill. Kay had never been a person adept at hiding things, but that was just his personality.

The notice was a yellow parchment with a single set of words printed in bold.

 **'** **Notice of Eviction.'**

Papa Ector's medical fees were running too high and they'd missed the monthly mortgage fees more than once already. If they didn't get the payment in by the end of the month, their home would be confiscated.

Merlin must have had known about her family's circumstances if the man had informed her about an unofficial tournament, but she was still thankful to the womanizer.

There was still a chance.

First, she'd stabilize her family's financial situation, and then she'd move on to make amendments for her past mistakes.

She filled up a cup of milk, and drank it all down in a single drink.

She had to get stronger.

Wiping her mouth, she picked up her wooden sword and left her house. She was going towards her newest training area now that Shirou had occupied the Archery Club room.

She'd been practicing in the nearby park by Homurahara Academy as of late. She first waited until the park emptied, and then found an isolated portion of the field to practice.

One hour.

Two.

She was no longer counting just how much time had passed while swinging down her sword. A sheen of sweat had formed over her brow, and she was constantly wiping it away with the back of her forearms.

No matter how tired she got, she just kept on going without pause.

There were too many burdens hanging over her shoulders to allow herself time to relax.

The afternoon soon began to shift into evening.

It was a time when most people were already in-doors, and only the relative few stayed out.

Fuyuki was not a city with rampant crime rates, but it did harbour its fair share of ill-tempered youth.

As Arturia was considering putting a stop to her practice, she couldn't help but notice a group of students from another Academy surrounding three other people. She narrowed her eyes in scrutiny.

She recognized those three.

All them were wearing Homurahara Academy's girl's school uniform. From the rumours, the three girls were Kaede Makidera, Yukika Saegusa, and Kane Himuro, Class 2-A's track girl trio.

She had never really spoken much with any of the three, but they were part of her 1-B homeroom class. They were energetic, but they were all kind people who tried to get to know her even when she tried to push others away.

Seeing them caught in a predicament, she couldn't very well leave them alone. Moreover, their harassers appeared to be from another school known locally in Fuyuki as 'Mob's Academy.' The school didn't have any noteworthy characters, but Mob's Academy was abundant with no-name crooks.

Right now, there were over a dozen of them surrounding Kaede and the rest.

It was a number that was more than she could probably handle in her exhausted state after her workout.

Still, she didn't hesitate to take action.

She jumped directly in, beating a path for Kaede and the others to escape from.

"Run!" She said urgently.

"Arturia?"

"The transfer student?"

Kaede and the others looked dazed at her intervention, but she didn't have the time to protect them while fighting.

"Go!" She directly gestured toward the path she'd made in the encirclement.

Kaede and the others faltered, but soon left under the urgency of Arturia's gaze.

"We'll get help," Kaede muttered under her breath.

The three were stars of the track team. By the time that they started running, they were already dozens of meters away.

Angered by her sudden intrusion, the delinquents of Mob's Academy instantly began targeting her.

It was not easy to fight against a group by oneself, even more so when she was already exhausted.

Yet she had to try.

She resolved herself and simply allowed her body to move by instinct simply because there was no talking her way out of the situation.

"One for the price of three? That's ridiculous," one of the delinquents kicked at the ground. "We were only insisting to hang out a bit."

 _They must have said no._ The thought entered her mind, but her eyes continued to dart around her in case of any surprise attacks.

It didn't take long.

At first, they thought that she was just an ordinary girl holding a sword, but they soon learned that wasn't just the case.

"Hey look guys, I can take her by myself."

Her eyes narrowed as one of them approached. Her sword struck out by instinct, smacking the man under the jaw and knocking him back.

The atmosphere immediately began to tense before a fight broke out.

Time passed, and she didn't know how many times she'd already attacked in self-defence, but her body was beginning to ache. The exhaustion started from her numbed hands and crawled up through her arms and into her body.

She winced as she was punched in the shoulder and sent tumbling down due to her small frame. There were over a dozen enemies around her right now of which many she'd already injured. The only problem was that she'd been too kind and hadn't hard enough to knock anyone out.

This was her sole mistake, and she was about to pay for it.

Although her enemies were injured, they weren't incapacitated.

Caught up in the middle and thrown to the ground, she immediately attempted to shield herself from any kicks of punches, but they never came.

From the edge of her vision, she could see many objects flying.

A blunted arrow?

One.

Two.

Six.

There was an entire storm of them that accurately struck the foreheads of the people that surrounded her. The blunt force was enough to stagger and disorient them.

They tried to compose themselves, but the arrows just wouldn't stop.

"Run!"

Sooner or later, someone called out the word for retreat and the entire area soon became deserted.

Only she was left, panting heavily from exhaustion on the ground. Her school uniform was torn and dirtied with mud and grime in a few places, meaning that she'd probably have to pay to buy a new one.

It was just going to be eggs on bread for another week then.

She grimaced while using her hands to leverage herself back onto her feet and soon craned her neck behind her towards the source of the arrows and an empty quiver.

Kaede and the others had come back accompanied by a certain individual and all were frantically pointing in her direction.

"As expected of Homurahara Academy's Ace Archer!"

"I thought he was just Homurahara's Brownie, but he has skill!"

"Shut up Kaede that's rude."

Arturia could hear Kaede and the other's bickering in the distance, but she was more focused on the fact that Kaede and the others had brought the person that she'd been avoiding for the past week.

"Hey, are you alright?" She felt a hand rest on her shoulder, and when she looked up, she saw Kaedo and the others looking at her with concern.

"I'm fine," she said.

"Your uniform's torn, and you have some bruises. How can you be fine?" Kaede pulled out her cellphone. "I'll call an ambulance."

"No, no really it's fine," Arturia shook her head. She didn't want to put anymore burdens on Papa Ector and Kay.

Kaede frowned while Yukika and Kane helped stabilize Arturia on her feet.

"Those bastards. Why couldn't they have had just taken the hint when we said, no?" Kane pushed up her glasses before staring at Arturia. "If you refuse an ambulance, then at least let us help you."

Arturia shook her head again. If she was anything, she could be stubborn. "I'm fine," she repeated.

Kaede and Kane made to argue, but Yukika sighed and stopped them.

"Then how about if we can buy you dinner some time?" Yukika offered.

Arturia thought about it, and soon enough, nodded her head.

Shirou was the only one who was trying to give Yukika a warning in regards to Arturia and food, but his gesture remained unnoticed.

Kaede and the others soon left after profusely thanking her.

That being the case, Arturia was keenly aware that she was now alone with Shirou Emiya.

She silently made her way back to the park to sit down on a park bench with no back rest. She could hear Shirou make his way behind her.

"You know what you did was dangerous, right?" He said in a lecturing tone.

"I know," she said forwardly.

She felt him sit behind her, his back pressing against hers.

How much of that fight had he seen?

"Are you not going to laugh?" She asked him.

"Do you want me to?"

She didn't respond, and instead just pulled her thighs towards her chest and hugged her arms around her knees.

"Look," she could hear Shirou scratching at the back his head from behind her. "Do you honestly think that I'll laugh at someone who'd try so hard to help another?"

Even though it wasn't widely apparent in Homurahara Academy, the nearby schools had their own underground societies with numerous students that could be considered bullies. They weren't the kind of people that anyone rational or normal would consider dealing with on their own.

The Golden Arcs Academy for example had a rich student that was proficient in drowning enemies with priceless projectiles launched by high-tech drones said to carry 'any' material good that one could imagine. Thus, was the power of the Babylon industries of Sumeria.

Other examples were the spearman of Celt's Academy, but honestly speaking, those people were more battle maniacs than they were bullies. It was best to just stay away from them.

Shirou supposed that what he was trying to say, was that none of the troublemakers from the various schools around Homurahara were simple to deal with.

"What you did Arturia was admirable. Why would I laugh at you because of that?"

Arturia lowered her head, her lips pursing in her sudden bout of stubbornness.

"Is it not reasonable to laugh at someone that's in over their head?" She grumbled in self doubt. "There were over a dozen of them, and if you didn't show up, I-"

She closed her mouth, unwilling to speak further. She had acted impulsively, just like what had happened before in her previous school which had ruined everything. It was because of her that Lancelot and the others, no, her entire team fell to ruin. It was because of her. She only pushed and led them, but never understood them.

It was her fault.

"I'm just a foolish girl," she muttered out the words that the four-time regional champion, Iskander, had told her. She hadn't been fit to be a leader.

She could feel Shirou shrug from behind her.

"A foolish girl, not woman? Well you are fairly short." His focus was entirely off the mark.

If not for the fact that she owed him a favour, she'd be glaring at him right now for that comment. She wasn't 'short' per say, just 'small' was the right word. She wasn't even the tiniest of girls in her class. Average. She was average. After years of still being able to fit into her old middle school uniform, she'd developed an acute sensitivity in regards to her body's slow development. Besides, she'd grown an entire five centimeters in the past four years. She was taller now.

"Feeling better?"

Shirou's question threw her for a loop, her neutral expression breaking as her mouth started to hang open. Really, this guy.

Her features softened before she fell quiet once again.

"Thanks," she whispered almost inaudibly.

Shirou didn't respond.

"Rather than foolish, I think you were quite brave in what you did," Shirou suddenly went back to the previous topic. "It was the first time I saw a little girl beat down at least a dozen grown men with a wooden sword alone."

"I'm not little."

"Feeling better yet?"

Her lips were about to curl upward at the banter, but she forcibly quelled the urge. "Care to test this 'little girl's' sword skills? I'd gladly demonstrate."

"I'll pass."

 _Pity._

She felt a warmth begin to bubble up from within her stomach, but she could hardly understand what kind of feeling it was. It honestly just felt natural.

"Say," her ears perked up at Shirou's voice. "Why did you never come back? Was it something that I did?" He was probably referring to their first encounter at the Archery Club's practice area.

Her face suddenly reddened at the thought of it and what she'd seen. She was still mortified to realize that she'd been staring for so long at that time.

"N-No, you did nothing wrong," she stuttered involuntarily, the tips of her cheeks flushing red. "There were just some personal reasons."

"So, you were avoiding me then?"

"…"

She couldn't deny it. The fact was, the only time that she'd ever seen Shirou was at their first encounter and at no other time until now, but it wasn't because she disliked him. It was more like she didn't feel as if someone like her who'd caused a tragedy in her previous school deserved making any friends if at all. The less people that she knew, the less people that she could involuntarily hurt through her inability to understand others.

"I see," Shirou spoke dispiritedly.

He'd probably taken her silence as an affirmative, but perhaps it was better this way. She could hear him shuffling behind her, and soon enough, the feeling of his back against her own disappeared.

She suddenly felt far colder than she'd ever felt before despite the chilly wind blowing in from the direction of the setting sun.

Subconsciously, she found herself turning around for the first time during their conversation.

Shirou was still there, soundlessly staring at her as if he could see right through her and what she really wanted but continued rejecting. Her head soon turned away unable to face him directly, but her eyes would still glance back at him discreetly.

Shirou was standing before her while she remained seated on the ground.

It was the start of a journey.

The beginning of an alternative path.

"I won't give up," She could hear the determination in Shirou's voice, and frankly, she couldn't deny that a part of her thought that it was endearing.

Her heart began to thud loudly within her chest, her ears hearing every beat.

Directly in front of her, Shirou raised the practice bow that he was carrying in his school bag into the air with a single arm.

"My bow is your bow," he said in the silence between them. "And my fate is yours to command. Please give this humble Servant a chance?"

This idiot. He really was persistent.

It was the corniest thing that she'd ever heard someone say to her before with such a straight face. Was he perhaps re-enacting a play of sorts to express himself? In any case, she really couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face anymore.

"Then my sword is your sword," she felt like she was fumbling for words to play along, but at the same time, the situation was heartening.

"Then I am yours to command, Master," Shirou bowed low. "No matter how annoying you think I am, or whatever personal reasons that you have, so long as you need me, I won't leave you."

She looked up at him, and he at her.

Her lips parted, a hand moving to hold the tip of Shirou's shirt.

"Then, can you stay beside me for just a little bit longer?" She looked away. She didn't mean anything by her action, but she'd been isolating herself for too long, and was reluctant to let go of the previous feeling that she had with Shirou sitting against her back.

She didn't want to lose that feeling yet, even if it was only temporary.

She was being selfish and she knew it, not even asking if Shioru had the time to stay any longer, but she didn't want to be alone right now.

She had too many things that she had to think about, and it was only when Shirou was with her that her mind became utterly blank, leaving her with nothing to concern over.

Her duties.

Her responsibilities.

Her self imposed atonement.

"I'll stay with you," Shirou sat back down beside her. "Everything else could wait."

Yes. That was exactly it.

She immersed herself in the warmth slowly pervading around her and hugged her legs closer to her chest.

 _Everything else could wait._

"Thank you," she muttered out. "But this doesn't change anything." She didn't want to hurt anyone else.

Shirou merely hummed in response.

"Doesn't matter, just take as long as you need."

"…"

The two sat in silence, both staring up at a rising moon.

Idiot, she mouthed the word.

* * *

 **Thanks for Reading! If it wasn't apparent yet, this story is an AU based on student life and how Shirou and the others would be without Magic in the world**

 **Next Update: Fate in Time**

 **P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious**


	3. Homurahara Academy's Sword and Bow: 2

Arturia must have had her own share of troubles, at least, it wasn't that difficult for Shirou to infer.

She kept to herself.

She avoided unnecessary conversation, rational to a point.

She rarely smiled.

Everything that he'd learned about her through observation and word of mouth over the last few days had portrayed her to be someone that did not want to be approached. The indifference that she constantly maintained on her face was almost uncanny in its ability to appear unfeeling and robotic. However, he'd never judged an individual on surface features alone.

It would be a lie to say that he wasn't enraptured by Arturia's noble-like disposition on their first meeting, but that wasn't what truly drew him in to constantly find himself gravitating around her. He was uncertain at first, but the longer that he had watched her train with her sword within Hamurahara's school facility, the more that he realized that there was more to her than what met the eye.

She practically glowed in her practice. Her swings were precise, her pacing even. It was as if nothing else existed in her mind other than the diligence of honing her skill.

She looked alive. A far cry from how anyone had described her to be, and it was then that he'd been able to see it. Right at the end of her session, just as she finished her final swing and began to review her forms, her shoulders slumped.

He'd thought that it was just a trick of the light or that he had just been too tired, but reality was different. Not only were her shoulder's slumped, but her eyes were downcast while staring silently at the tip of her wooden sword in bitter reminiscence. It was like she was doubting herself over matters that he knew that he had no right to interfere in, but, but, once he'd seen it, there was no way that he could just do nothing.

His heart had thumped. At that moment, he didn't know why, but he didn't like the sad expression that broke over her face. Therefore, to dispel that expression, he had picked up a sword and displayed his abilities to take her mind off of anything depressing.

For the most part, he thought that it had worked, but the fact that she never showed up again was a heavy blow.

Therefore, when Kaede and the others had run into him with news that Arturia was in danger, he hadn't hesitated in giving aid.

Looking at her now, her back pressed against his own as they shared each others company, he felt that his choice had been correct.

There were still many things about Arturia that he didn't know, but that was fine. He'd stick around her and wait for the day that she'd finally open up and share her problems. She had to realize for herself that she wasn't alone and that there were others around her that were willing to help.

Until then, he'd help her in his own way as best as he could.

It was raining; a sudden downpour that began without even a moment's notice.

The pitter-patter of the droplets echoed out from beneath the hollow structure of the child's playground where he and Arturia had taken refuge. The space was cramped as it was meant for children, however, it had just enough room to accommodate the both of them.

The rain was heavy, the quantity enough to a soak a person whole in a matter of seconds. There was no other choice than for the both of them to wait it out until the rain lightened. It was storm season, so the rain would simply come and go in brief showers, sometimes longer.

The two were seated next to each other.

He was on the left, and she was on the right. Their knees were touching, but there was nothing that they could do about it. At the very least, it wasn't too cramped.

It was just unfortunate that the both of them had gotten wet in the process of finding shelter.

Arturia was shivering, rubbing her palms together and breathing over them for heat. She had not brought much in the way of warm clothing. The extra baggage would have had been a hinderance in her training, and it would have had gotten too stuffy to move with. Everything was fine when she'd worked up a sweat, but now that she'd cooled off and was doused by rain, it was no wonder that she was feeling cold.

He in comparison was better off. He was actually wearing a jacket.

Watching Arturia in front of him rub her arms to keep warm, there was no way that he could just sit there and do nothing. When you see someone that you like or care about struggling in front of you, there was only one real reaction.

"Here," he removed his jacket and draped it over Arturia's back before she could get a word in. Hell, he had done it for her when she just stared at him dumbly.

"…" She was looking at him, her teal coloured eyes shifting up and down.

Beneath his jacket was only a simple T-shirt. There was no way that he wouldn't feel cold, but he had still given his jacket away. Knowing Arturia's personality, he could expect what kind of response was building up in her mind.

"I don't need it."

Yup.

That was exactly what he thought she'd say.

Arturia moved to take the jacket off of her shoulders, but he stopped her with his hands. Their close proximity made it far too easy to disrupt her movements.

"I'm fine," he insisted.

"No," she stared at the thin fabric of his shirt while biting her lower lip. "You're not."

Her hands moved to pull the jacket off once again, but seeing the look on his face, she faltered.

"Give it back to me, and I'll just toss it out into the rain. Your choice," he said bluntly. He was being serious.

Arturia froze before pursing her lips. She pulled the jacket tight around her and didn't say anything else afterwards. Her fingers were clutched around the zipper. The entire jacket was an entire size bigger than her.

"That was the lamest threat that I've ever heard," she whispered softly.

"It worked, didn't it?" He looked up at her, the distance between their faces less than a meter.

"Yeah," she lowered her head. "It did, but there really was no need. If need be, I could have had just run home. It's not too far from here."

He looked at her as if she was an idiot. It caused her to fall into silence. "But you didn't want to go home yet, right?"

His response rendered her unable to refute. She looked at him, and then away. It was true. She'd literally just asked him to stay with her until a bit later. Therefore, there was no way that he was going to leave her own right now. Not when she looked like she was troubled by something.

He had to change the subject somehow.

"How long have you been practicing with a sword for?" He asked, his attention shifting to the wooden sword that Arturia was still carrying.

"For as long as I can remember," Arturia's response was curt and to the point. She had her hands placed just on top of her knees.

"You must enjoy it then." His statement was based on his own observation of when he'd seen her practice.

"I did. I still do, but," she closed her mouth and reconsidered her answer. "No, it doesn't matter."

But it _did_ matter. At least to him. He wanted to be of help to her. To be there for her whenever she was in danger or found herself in a tough spot. At the very least, he wanted to be someone that she could honestly rely on. However, to do so would require for him to be able to understand her. He wanted to understand.

"If it doesn't matter, then why hesitate over it?"

It was a fair point, but it didn't look like Arturia was comfortable talking about the subject any further. Her lips pursed, and her brows furrowed before she composed herself in her indecision. He watched every change and action that came over her. Even though she was starting to use an emotionless face again, sometimes one didn't have to look at a face to infer what a person was feeling. The eyes could be far more expressive than words or gestures alone.

"You ask too many questions," she grumbled, feeling somewhat awkward at his sincerity.

"Is it wrong for me to want to get to know you?"

She blinked, as if processing what she'd just heard and verifying if she'd heard right. Her back stood ramrod straight, her shoulders hunching. If there was enough room, he even suspected that she'd bring her legs up to hug her arms around them while dodging his stare.

"I'm not someone worth your time. I don't deserve it." She shook her head.

Don't deserve it?

What sort of things was she saying now?

They were Academy students in their last year before graduation. There was no way that she could have had done anything big enough to warrant constantly demeaning herself. Even if something tragic had happened in her past, at the very least, she was probably over complicating things. The people involved may not even hold grudges or count her as liable. Arturia really didn't seem like the type to involve others in her problems. This was to say, she would not have had verified what others really thought about her and would have had instead based things off her own self assumptions.

It was the same right now. What did she mean that she didn't deserve his time? What sort of person did she think herself as?

Shirou felt exasperated.

"Well, that sounds like something that's more for me to decide." He directly conveyed his opinion and watched Arturia fumble. There was a trace of annoyance in his tone that took her off guard. "Besides, I much prefer to trust my own judgment than be directed by the opinion of others. To me, it's worth feeling cold if it means keeping you company."

"I-Is that so?" Arturia had no real response. She just did not know what to say.

However, that was fine.

"I won't force you to say anything, but remember, no matter what, I will be there for you."

He just wanted to get at least that single point across to her thick skull.

"Are you still going to avoid me?"

Arturia looked hard at him, and he back.

She shakily lowered her gaze to the ground.

"No promises."

* * *

By the time that Arturia returned home, it was late in the evening. Shirou had walked her all the way back to her house when the rain had stopped. She'd wanted to invite him in at least for a small drink, but recalling the eviction notice still left on her table, she politely refused him entree.

She felt embarrassed for turning him away at the last moment, but it was better than having him concern himself with her. There were too many things that she had to think about right now.

"Then I'll be off." Shirou waved her goodbye and she watched him all the way until he'd turned the far corner and left her sights.

Although it didn't show on her face, she felt somewhat hollow now that she was alone. There was just something about Shirou that gave her a peace of mind. To be frank, he was honest in his opinions and refused to distance himself away from her regardless of what she said. How was she supposed to push that sort of guy away? Especially when a part of her actually enjoyed his company?

She sighed, a hand fumbling with her keys and clicking her lock open.

Closing the door behind her, she stopped and pressed her back against the door while gradually sliding down into a seated position.

Empty.

The house was still empty meaning that it was going to be another night on her own. Since papa Ector and Kay weren't back yet, papa Ector may have had been asked to stay overnight at the hospital for his health check ups. Kay subsequently must have had stayed behind.

Alone.

It was fine.

She was already used to toughing things out anyway.

A hand went to rub against her temple as her body deflated from all the tension. She was just so tired.

Her stomach growled, but she didn't exactly have anything to feed it with.

She fell into contemplation. Her stomach definitely couldn't growl at her in her sleep.

It was late, and therefore she was considering her chances of being able to sleep out the hunger. Milk alone could only go so far, but maybe if she drank a little more it would do her some good?

No. It won't work.

She knew herself well enough to know what was adequate.

She'd just have to force herself. Eventually, she'd get tired anyway.

Standing up, she took off her shoes by the entryway before moving to her kitchen where she sat on a dining chair. She leaned forward over the wooden table in front of her. She was resting her head over her forearms, her left cheek pressed onto the groove of her elbow.

Directly in front of her gaze was the eviction notice, and further away was the flyer regarding the Holy Grail War that Merlin had precured for her benefit.

Right. She still had to prepare for that.

It was too late to try and get a job to pay for her immediate family's expenses so the Holy Grail War was the only chance that she got. Besides, the money she'd earn would be far more than what she'd need. Using the extra, she could use it to fulfill her own wish.

She picked up the eviction notice with her hand, and crumpled it into a ball which she tossed into the trash. Papa Ector and Kay didn't have to worry about anything else. Instead, she would handle it all even if she had to go out of her way on her own.

She could do it. Surely.

She pulled the jacket closer to herself, relishing in the comfort and support that it gave her.

Suddenly, she looked at her cellphone and stared silently at her most recent contact.

Shirou had exchanged his number with her before he had left on his own, and it was all that she could look at right now.

A part of her still didn't know what to make of Shirou, but she definitely knew that she appreciated all that he had done for her.

Caught up in her musings, her stomach growled again.

Her expression sunk, but in that moment, the door bell rang behind her, causing her to stiffen.

Knowing her family, she wasn't expecting anyone to visit at such a late hour. Wearily, she grabbed onto the hilt of her wooden sword and kept it hidden behind her as she moved to open the door.

Her door was an outdated version with no viewing hole to let her see who was knocking on her door in advance so she had to be careful. A part of her was already thinking that maybe the friends of the people she'd fought with earlier had found her.

She swallowed and maintained her cool.

There was no use just doing nothing, and it was better her to be exposed to danger than her family.

She swung open the door and blinked, her mouth suddenly dry.

There was no one.

Only three large-sized bento boxes wrapped within a convenience store grocery bag. A small note was attached to the side.

 _'Not sure if you ate already, and I didn't want to bother you any longer, but I had a feeling that even if I had asked, you'd say that you were fine. Therefore, I bought these just in case. Toss them aside if you don't want them. -Emiya.'_

She felt butterflies converge within her gut.

She didn't know what to think anymore.

Wordlessly, she took the large bentos into her hands, closed the door behind her, and slid down onto her butt. Her lips were quivering, and her vision seemed somewhat blurred.

 _If it's Arturia, then she's fine._

 _She's always been strong._

 _As if she would ever have problems._

 _Look at her, her face says it all. She doesn't need any help._

All her life, she'd always been capable, smart, talented, and self-sufficient. Even in the past, anyone who saw her would only see an air of indifference and a drive to overcome any difficulties. That was just who she was, but just because she never needed help, didn't mean that she never wanted or appreciated it.

Often, it was always the ones who smiled or looked the happiest that hurt the most; unwilling to share their problems in consideration for those around them.

Therefore, she would smile to hide everything away. Smile even when she knew it hurts.

What's the point in crying out when it achieves nothing?

Breaking the chopsticks provided, she began eating while forcing back sniffles.

She shuddered visibly.

It wasn't raining any longer, but the pitter-patter of droplets echoed within the still house.

She'd win.

The Holy Grail War. She'd win for sure.

With the money she earned, she could fulfill her wish of writing off her wrongs and fade away into society. That was how it was supposed to go. She had too many regrets and had made too many mistakes. Yet, she glanced up. The light of her phone reflected into her irises. She'd received a text.

 _'Don't bother trying to pay me back. I won't accept it.'_

Kindness was not something that she was ever used to receiving.

Not someone like her.

A leader unable to understand emotion.

However, just this once, maybe she didn't have to do everything on her own.

* * *

The next school day came quicker than Arturia could have had imagined.

Still, from the moment that she had stepped foot into Homurhara Academy, she felt a noticeable difference from the last few weeks since her transfer. Word had probably gotten out that Shirou had rushed to her aid after hearing about the incident with the students of Mob's Academy.

As it would turn out, it wasn't that Kaede and the other girls from the track team coincidently met Shirou on the road, it was that they had met him on the way to the police station by Homurahara.

Upon hearing of the situation, Shirou had dropped everything that he was doing to dash into a mad sprint. School activities had long since ended at that point, but there were still many extracurricular students that had witnessed Shirou's actions.

Arturia's reputation as a loner was already well established due her own actions, however, Shirou's reputation was different. He was kind, handy, and was relatively well off with his family. He lived in the large Emiya residence that resembled traditional Japanese carpentry, and it was said that his step mother Irisviel came from a substantial background in Germany.

The girls in the academy were never too outspoken in their interests, but without a doubt, Shirou had always been a prime candidate for a relationship. It was just too bad that he'd never showed any initiative to get to know anyone compared to taking joy in helping others.

Rin Tohsaka, one of the most prominent and enchanting girls in Homurahara had not even once garnered too much attention. However, it wasn't that she wasn't attractive though. The fault lied with Rin to begin with. Her 'true' personality was horrid, and her pride misplaced.

Even if Rin had an interest in Shirou, rather than approach him, she had instead made herself constantly appear around him in hopes that he would realize his affection for her and start a conversation. She was always vexed however when Shirou didn't have the balls to talk to her. The closest that Rin ever came to starting a conversation was when she was having technical problems and Shirou came over to help. She'd been over joyed, but like a mother lion guarding its cubs, Issei Ryoudo, Homurahara Academy's student president and Shirou's friend, butted in like a third wheel.

Rin was still suffering in her inability to be truthful to herself and as such, constantly observed Shirou without his knowledge in wait for an opportunity.

Rin, like many of the other girls who had scene Shirou sprint to aid Arturia were left floored. The look of concern on Shirou's face had not been the expression of a man who just wanted to help, but the desperate expression of a man who wanted to protect someone that they cared for.

Homurahara's underground Women's Society fell into an uproar.

The Homurahara Academy rumour mill was not to be underestimated, and Arturia had only made it worse by wearing Shirou's jacket to school.

She was just being practical. Shirou's jacket was warm, and it was always colder in the morning before the sun came up. By the time that she would finish her own practice, she would have had worked enough of a sweat to get by with her own body heat, making the jacket unnecessary. She had decided to wear Shirou's jacket to school to return it to him after his club activities just as hers started.

However, what was going on right now?

All around her she could see people pointing and whispering as she walked through Homurahara Academy's hallway.

It unnerved her.

Student life had always been a battle. While the boys had their own open circles such as sports clubs and friendly gatherings, the girls operated differently. Theirs was a society that was more private and less straightforward, filled with barbed words and double meanings.

To be honest, Arturia was still trying to get used to it.

Admittedly, she'd been what was known as a tomboy for most of her life.

She'd been raised like a guy, and she liked to dress and act like one too. It had always been easier. When she was mad at something, then she could be vocal. When she wanted to get a point across, she need only say it until it was heard. In short, she could be as direct as she wanted.

Now though? Now it was different. Academy uniforms were mandatory.

The skirt that she was wearing still felt uncomfortable compared to her previous attire. It was, loose, almost too breezy, for her to feel any sense of security when compared to a pair of joggers that she generally pilfered from Kay's old belongings.

Whatever.

She was strong.

She would face all the obstacles in front of her.

She steeled her features, adopting an impassive expression.

The stares around her continued throughout the day and it was impossible for her to figure out why. Unable to find an answer, she accepted the situation for what it was. It wasn't like anyone was going to approach her anyway.

She thought wrong.

Kaede Makidera, Yukika Saegusa, and Kane Himuro, Class 2-A's track girl trio, cornered her during her lunch break and forcibly dragged her off.

The three were like the wind, utterly unable to be stopped.

Then again, they _were_ treating her to lunch which greatly contributed to Arturia's level of resistance. Which in hindsight, was close to nil when they began talking about the newest deserts and pastries in a recently opened cafe.

The stomach was greater than the mind.

Arturia had no choice but to comply.

Unexpectedly though, the flyer regarding the Holy Grail War that Arturia had kept in her bag slipped out as Kaede and the others pulled her away.

Gliding through the air, the flyer circled a couple of times before drifting under the feet of a woman who stared at it in peculiarity and recognition. Her black hair held up by ribbons in pigtails swayed as she bent over and picked up the parchment into her hand.

The woman looked from Arturia, then back to the flyer before her expression grew more serious.

"Now isn't this interesting?"

The woman began to grin.

"You see that smile, Emiya?" A voice caused the woman to stiffen. "That's why I keep telling you that Tohsaka's a witch. Honour student? More like two-faced."

Rin Tohsaka's lip twitched while staring at Issei Ryoudo.

One day. Oh, one day surely.

Issei Ryoudo.

She loomed closer.

"Back, begone! C'mon Shirou run!"

You better watch your back.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry for shorter chapter but thanksgiving this weekend and school work this week was almost crippling in the mount of time I could spend to actually write. Regular schedule of Saturday and Monday updates for this semester will resume from now on.**

 **Chapter focus was based on developing the relationships between character. Core of the story will begin in the next one to two updates with the beginning of the 'Holy Grail War'**

 **Next update: Fate-In Time**

 **P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious**


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